What is a Mudra?
A mudra is a yoga pose that is specifically meant to awaken spiritual energy in the body.
One of the most significant mudras is Kechari [pronounced ke–CHAR–ee]. Regrettably, it is also one of the most challenging.
To communicate with particular nerves in the nasal passageways, the tongue must be moved back behind the soft palate.
If the tongue cannot be pushed back far enough, the tip of the tongue can be pressed against the uvula (the soft fleshy appendage that hangs from the soft palate at the back of the mouth).
What is Kechari Mudra?
The highest of all mudras is the Kechari Mudra. There are two mudras in particular that you should learn if you want to be a master in hatha Yoga. One of them is Kechari. It's a somewhat unusual method.
The tongue is turned back and placed behind the soft palate in Kechari Mudra.
Touching the tip of the tongue to the uvula, that small flap hanging down at the back of the throat, is a compromise that provides some of the same advantages.
The meeting of the nerves in the tip of the tongue and the uvula, according to yoga, is the true inner sexual connection. It generates a type of energy short circuit that forces energy from the body into the brain.
When you perform it, you will see an instantaneous result. It's a remarkable and effective strategy. It is the technique for learning to levitate and fly described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga shastras.
An elixir is secreted if these nerves [at the tip of the tongue and nasal passageways or uvula] are kept connected for a particular amount of time. It has a sweet flavor that reminds me of a combination of clarified butter and honey.
In India's scriptures, there is a complete Veda called Samaveda, which most people believe is about drinking rice wine and becoming drunk. It's all about this inner nectar, which is highly charged and can keep you energetic for extended periods of time without requiring food.
It brings a lot of happiness and spiritual force. Bears curl their mouths back as they go into hibernation, according to yogis. That is how they are able to stay in suspended animation for months at a time. Their heart rate drops to one or two beats per minute, according to my calculations.
The tongue instinctively turns into Kechari Mudra in samadhi. As a result, performing it consciously will assist you in reaching pleasure.
It is very good for the Higher Kriyas. Kriya with Kechari Mudra was taught by Lahiri Mahasaya. When she practiced the Higher Kriyas with Kechari Mudra, Kamala Silva [a direct student of Master] said she got a lot more out of them.
Because extending the frenum (the chord that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is required to get the tongue into Kechari, many of Lahiri Mahasaya's pupils incorporate tongue-stretching exercises as part of their Kriya initiation.
What is the Purpose of doing Kechari Mudra?
- Kechari Mudra's primary goal is to activate Kundalini.
- When the positive and negative energies in the tongue and nasal passageways (or uvula) are combined, they form an energy cycle in the brain that forms a magnetic field instead of allowing the energy to flow outward to the body.
- Energy is drawn upward from the body and from the base of the spine to the brain through this field. In Samadhi, the tongue is believed to turn back on itself.
- This mudra is used to promote the emergence of profound spiritual realms of awareness.
- People frequently inquire about how to move their energy up the spine to the spiritual eye. Kechari Mudra is a wonderful approach to go about it. It attracts energy to the spine and pulls it into the brain.
When is it appropriate to use Kechari Mudra in one's practice?
You should start when you have a nice sensation of energy internalization and inner tranquility in your spine.
When you've achieved that point in your practice, practicing Kriya with Kechari Mudra will have a greater impact.
Instead of thinking about starting after a set amount of time—say, five or 10 years—think about starting whenever you feel it is the proper moment. Even though it may appear unusual at first, it is a very vital method.
The tip of the tongue has a positive energy, whereas the uvula and specific nerves in the nasal passages have a negative energy.
When these two energies come together, they form a tremendous energy cycle that forms a magnet.
Rather than pushing it from below, the proper technique to raise the kundalini is to establish a magnet from above. Kechari Mudra is a safe and natural approach to attract that magnet.
4 Exercises to Prepare for Kechari Mudra
The greatest impediment to doing Kechari Mudra is the ordinary tongue's and frenum's shortness (the cord that ties the tongue to the floor of the mouth.) These exercises will help you progressively and naturally lengthen your tongue and frenum. (Some of them were taught by Lahiri Mahasaya.)
The frenum should not be severed under any circumstances. Nature put it there to keep us from swallowing our tongues. It's possible that cutting it will sever the nerves that lead to the tongue.
You might be able to do one or both of these Kechari preparatory activities every day. You might be able to complete them all. But don't go overboard.
If your frenum, tongue, or soft palate get painful, you may need to take a day or longer off from the workouts.
Keep in mind that mastering the complete Kechari Mudra takes months, if not years.
Devotion to God and gurus, in addition to these disciplines, will eventually assist you in doing Kechari Mudra. Devotion attracts God's blessings to your work.
1. “Milking” the tongue by gently drawing it
- Stretch the by mouth outward and then downward several times with a wet towel in a gently "milking" motion.
- This may be done for a few minutes each day, before or after your meditation.
2. By turning the Tongue and Pressing the Roof of the the Mouth
- The back as far as you can and pressing the base of it on the roof of the mouth, the frenum may be stretched against.
- Gradually extend the tongue toward the rear of the mouth as it relaxes.
- As a first step toward executing complete Kechari Mudra, you should be able to touch it to the uvula in the back of the neck.
- You can stay in this position as long as it is comfortable for you while performing Hong-Sau, AUM, or Kriya.
3. Gently Rubbing the Frenum Across the Teeth
- The frenum may be also softened by pulling out the tongue and rubbing it softly and gently stroking it left and right over the lower teeth. This repeated action will help stretch it over the teeth.
- This exercise should be done with caution, especially if you have exceptionally sharp bottom teeth.
- This method can be paired with the “tongue-milking” exercise, which involves gradually pulling the tongue outward and downward, then rubbing it across the bottom teeth.
4. Talabya Kriya
In the exercise's ceiling, turn the tongue back and cleave it above your pallet and against the roof of your mouth.
- Slowly open your mouth while your tongue is pressing the bottom of the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
- Release your tongue with a swift flicking action as if it were a spring recoiling.
- Repeat this multiple number of times, as you find comfortable.
- Finally, push and thrust your tongue out as far as you can for a stretch at the point when the connection breaks.
- Ideally, you should practice 25-50 times each day, or as much as you can comfortably.
4 Progressive Stages to Perform Kechari Mudra
- The tongue is positioned as far back as it is comfortable toward the back of the throat in the first stage.
- Second Stage: You should be able to touch the tongue to the uvula as you extend the tongue and frenum (the soft fleshy appendage that hangs from the soft palate at the back of the mouth.)
- The tongue is raised above the soft palate in the third stage.
- Final Stage: The tongue is moved as far forward and upward as possible over the soft palate and up to the top of the hollow region (nasal cavity).
You may also want to read more about Yoga Asanas and Mudras here.